title: Overtreatment in a see-and-treat approach to cervical intraepithelial lesions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the overtreatment rate at colposcopy in women who underwent a see-and-treat protocol.
  
  
  METHODS
  We identified 3,192 patients (mean age 36 years, standard deviation 8.7) who underwent a see-and-treat protocol in Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center between January 1981 and December 2010. Overtreatment, defined as cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 1 or less at final histopathology analysis, was investigated in relation to the age of the women, time of referral, cervical smear result, colposcopic impression, and histopathology result.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 579 women (18.1%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 16.7-19.5) were overtreated. The lowest overtreatment rate (4.5%, 95% CI 3.5-5.5) was seen in women with both a high-grade cervical smear result and a high-grade colposcopic impression. Women aged younger than 40 years were less likely to be overtreated (13.1%, 95% CI 11.7-14.5) than women aged 40-49 years (24.2% 95% CI 21.2-27.4, number needed to harm nine) and aged 50 years and older (42.2%, 95% CI 36.5-47.7, number needed to harm three).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overtreatment rate is low for patients with both a high-grade smear result and a high-grade colposcopic impression, justifying a see-and-treat approach for these patients. In women with either a high-grade smear result or a high-grade impression on colposcopy, a see-and-treat approach may still be preferable but has higher overtreatment rates. Given the side effects of cervical surgery on pregnancy outcome, young women, in particular those who have either a low-grade smear result or low-grade impression on colposcopy, are better served by a two-step approach. In older women, a see-and-treat policy may be preferable.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Pathology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Remko P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Bosgraaf
authors.forename: Peter-Paul
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Mast
authors.forename: Petronella H T H
authors.initials: PHTH
authors.lastname: Struik-van der Zanden
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bulten
authors.forename: Leon F A G
authors.initials: LFAG
authors.lastname: Massuger
authors.forename: Ruud L M
authors.initials: RLM
authors.lastname: Bekkers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003127:Colposcopy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D019564:Unnecessary Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D055815:Young Adult; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*